Helene set records at the St. Petersburg and Clearwater gauges
The National Hurricane Center reports 5 to 7 feet of water above ground around Tampa Bay and along the Pinellas coast during Hurricane Helene (2024). The St. Petersburg tide gauge reached 6.31 feet above the normal high-tide line, a station record (the previous record was 3.97 feet in Elena, 1985), and the Clearwater gauge reached a record 6.67 feet.
- Helene: 5–7 ft above ground around Tampa Bay
- St. Petersburg gauge: 6.31 ft above high tide (record)
- Clearwater gauge: 6.67 ft above high tide (record); Madeira Beach sensor 7.26 ft
Source: NHC Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Helene
The BarrierX® system we install in Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg
Rubicon installs BarrierX® removable aluminum plank barriers: side posts are anchored beside each opening once, and the planks drop into them when a storm is forecast. Height is chosen per opening in 8-inch steps.
- Heights from 25 in (3 planks) to 73 in (9 planks)
- 6063-T6 aluminum; independent tensile test of a plank: 31.0 ksi yield vs the 25.0 ksi ASTM B221 T6 minimum
- Closed-cell EPDM seals; stainless steel sleeve anchors into masonry
- Planks weigh 2.15 lb per linear foot (a 10-ft plank is about 21.5 lb)
Source: BarrierX® specification and test results
Tampa Bay homes: what we measure
Pinellas and Tampa Bay homes range from older ground-level houses near the bays and beaches to newer homes with wide garages and slider walls. Rubicon measures each garage, door and slider and checks the threshold and the wall behind each post before recommending a height.
Getting Rubicon out to Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg
Rubicon replies to inquiries within an hour and can schedule an emergency appointment within 24 hours. Every system is measured on site first, then quoted per opening. Rubicon is based at 3729 Chiquita Blvd S, Cape Coral, FL 33914 and serves St. Petersburg, Clearwater, the Pinellas beaches and Tampa Bay. Call 239-330-8888.
- On-site measurement before any quote
- Install, labeled storage and a deployment walkthrough
- Quoted per opening, not per web price list
What Rubicon customers say
5.0 on Google from 8 reviews (as of October 2026). Excerpts from Rubicon’s Google reviews across Southwest Florida (not necessarily from this city):
- “EXCELLENT service and employees from beginning to end… Product and installation looks great. 10 out of 10.”
- “Very responsive, informative, and professional throughout the entire process.”
- “Super easy process from start to finish. You can tell they know what they’re doing.”
Source: Rubicon Flood Control on Google
Official local flood information
Pinellas County publishes floodplain information and says to get required permits before home improvement work; the City of St. Petersburg has its own flooding page.
Source: Pinellas County — Floodplain protection
What a flood barrier can and can’t do
A barrier closes a measured opening — a garage, door or slider — up to its rated height. It does not stop water coming up through floor drains, through walls or over the top, and it doesn’t replace evacuation orders or elevation requirements in Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg. In Helene, surge on parts of the Pinellas beaches was higher than many openings can be closed; a barrier is one layer of protection, not a substitute for evacuating.
